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Man 'squawks like seagull' from hospital roof in plague mask

Leon Gillespie, 26, climbed onto the roof of Glan Clwyd Hospital wearing a plague doctor mask, squawking like a seagull and calling staff "murderers" before being fined.

·1 min read
A figure in black can be seen on top of a hospital roof, with railings in front of him.

Negotiators were called to the scene before Leon Gillespie climbed down a ladder after a disturbance at Glan Clwyd Hospital in Bodelwyddan, Denbighshire, last month.

A man climbed onto the roof of the busy district hospital wearing a black gown and a "plague doctor" mask, a court heard. Leon Gillespie, 26, began squawking like a seagull, called hospital staff "murderers" and spent three hours causing a nuisance at the hospital, a judge was told.

At the hearing at Llandudno Magistrates' Court on 29 July, prosecutor James Neary said negotiators were called to the scene before Gillespie climbed down a ladder. He admitted causing a nuisance on NHS premises – an offence which carries only a fine.

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District judge Gwyn Jones imposed a £200 fine and ordered Gillespie, of Deganwy, Llandudno, to pay £100 costs.

Jones told him:

It's clear you were going through some mental health issues at the time.

Gillespie had been detained for nearly a fortnight under the Mental Health Act, 10 days after the hospital disturbance. Fines and compensation were also ordered for two thefts from shops.

Defence solicitor Michael Pugh said Gillespie had been diagnosed as bipolar and described what happened as a

cry for help
.

This article was sourced from bbc

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